scholarly journals Divergence and convergence of cortical encoding during word reading in bilinguals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shujie Geng ◽  
Wanwan Guo ◽  
Kunyu Xu ◽  
Tianye Jia ◽  
Wei Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Word Reading ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Writing Systems ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Cognitive Components ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
Core Language

Word reading includes a series of cognitive processes that convert low-level visual characteristics to neural representations. However, the consistency of the neural mechanisms for processing these cognitive components across different writing systems in bilinguals remains inconclusive. Here, we explored this question by employing representational similarity analysis with a semantic access task involving Chinese words, English words and Chinese pinyin. Divergent spatial distribution patterns were detected for each type of brain representation across ideographic and alphabetic languages, resulting in 100% classification accuracy. Meanwhile, convergent cognitive components processing was found in the core language-related regions in left hemisphere, including the inferior frontal gyrus, temporal pole, superior and middle temporal gyrus, precentral gyrus and supplementary motor areas. Broadly, our findings indicated that the neural basis for word recognition of different writing systems in bilinguals was divergent in spatial locations of neural representations but convergent in functions, which supported and enriched the assimilation-accommodation hypothesis.

Memory Effects of Speech and Gesture Binding: Cortical and Hippocampal Activation in Relation to Subsequent Memory Performance

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 821-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Straube ◽  
Antonia Green ◽  
Susanne Weis ◽  
Anjan Chatterjee ◽  
Tilo Kircher
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Recognition Task ◽  
Semantic Integration ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Fmri Session ◽  
Abstract Content

In human face-to-face communication, the content of speech is often illustrated by coverbal gestures. Behavioral evidence suggests that gestures provide advantages in the comprehension and memory of speech. Yet, how the human brain integrates abstract auditory and visual information into a common representation is not known. Our study investigates the neural basis of memory for bimodal speech and gesture representations. In this fMRI study, 12 participants were presented with video clips showing an actor performing meaningful metaphoric gestures (MG), unrelated, free gestures (FG), and no arm and hand movements (NG) accompanying sentences with an abstract content. After the fMRI session, the participants performed a recognition task. Behaviorally, the participants showed the highest hit rate for sentences accompanied by meaningful metaphoric gestures. Despite comparable old/new discrimination performances (d′) for the three conditions, we obtained distinct memory-related left-hemispheric activations in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), the premotor cortex (BA 6), and the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), as well as significant correlations between hippocampal activation and memory performance in the metaphoric gesture condition. In contrast, unrelated speech and gesture information (FG) was processed in areas of the left occipito-temporal and cerebellar region and the right IFG just like the no-gesture condition (NG). We propose that the specific left-lateralized activation pattern for the metaphoric speech–gesture sentences reflects semantic integration of speech and gestures. These results provide novel evidence about the neural integration of abstract speech and gestures as it contributes to subsequent memory performance.

scholarly journals Neural Basis of Depression Related to a Dominant Right Hemisphere: A Resting-State fMRI Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Li ◽  
Hongpei Xu ◽  
Shengfu Lu
Keyword(s):  
Right Hemisphere ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Middle Temporal ◽  
Middle Occipital Gyrus ◽  
The Right ◽  
Depressive Patients ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Left Middle

Background. In the past, studies on the lateralization of the left and right hemispheres of the brain suggested that depression is dominated by the right hemisphere of the brain, but the neural basis of this theory remains unclear. Method. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain was performed in 22 depressive patients and 15 healthy controls. The differences in the mean values of the regional homogeneity (ReHo) of two groups were compared, and the low-frequency amplitudes of these differential brain regions were compared. Results. The results show that compared with healthy subjects, depressive patients had increased ReHo values in the right superior temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus, triangular part of the right inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part of the right inferior frontal gyrus, right superior occipital gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, bilateral anterior cingulate, and paracingulate gyri; reduced ReHo values were seen in the right fusiform gyrus, left middle occipital gyrus, left lingual gyrus, and left inferior parietal except in the supramarginal and angular gyri. Conclusions. The results show that regional homogeneity mainly occurs in the right brain, and the overall performance of the brain is such that right hemisphere synchronization is enhanced while left hemisphere synchronization is weakened. ReHo abnormalities in the resting state can predict abnormalities in individual neurological activities that reflect changes in the structure and function of the brain; abnormalities shown with this indicator are the neuronal basis for the phenomenon that the right hemisphere of the brain has a dominant effect on depression.

scholarly journals Ballroom Dancing Promotes Neural Activity in the Sensorimotor System: A Resting-State fMRI Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingzhi Lu ◽  
Qi Zhao ◽  
Yingying Wang ◽  
Chenglin Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Sensorimotor System ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Action Perception ◽  
Ballroom Dancing ◽  
Left Middle

Objective. This study aims at investigating differences in the spontaneous brain activity and functional connectivity in the sensorimotor system between ballroom dancers and nondancers, to further support the functional alteration in people with expertise. Materials and Methods. Twenty-three ballroom dancers and twenty-one matched novices with no dance experience were recruited in this study. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and seed-based functional connectivity, as methods for assessing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data, were used to reveal the resting-state brain function in these participants. Results. Compared to the novices, ballroom dancers showed increased ALFF in the left middle temporal gyrus, bilateral precentral gyrus, bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, right superior temporal gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus. The ballroom dancers also demonstrated lower ALFF in the left lingual gyrus and altered functional connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus and temporal, parietal regions. Conclusions. Our results indicated that ballroom dancers showed elevated neural activity in sensorimotor regions relative to novices and functional alterations in frontal-temporal and frontal-parietal connectivity, which may reflect specific training experience related to ballroom dancing, including high-capacity action perception, attentional control, and movement adjustment.

Altered neural activities during response inhibition in adults with addiction: a voxel-wise meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Zeguo Qiu ◽  
Junjing Wang
Keyword(s):  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Substance Dependence ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Behavioral Addiction ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Meta Analyses

Abstract Background Previous literature has extensively investigated the brain activity during response inhibition in adults with addiction. Inconsistent results including both hyper- and hypo-activities in the fronto-parietal network (FPN) and the ventral attention network (VAN) have been found in adults with addictions, compared with healthy controls (HCs). Methods Voxel-wise meta-analyses of abnormal task-evoked regional activity were conducted for adults with substance dependence (SD) and behavioral addiction during response inhibition tasks to solve previous inconsistencies. Twenty-three functional magnetic resonance imaging studies including 479 substance users, 38 individuals with behavioral addiction and 494 HCs were identified. Results Compared with HCs, all addictions showed hypo-activities in regions within FPN (inferior frontal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus) and VAN (inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, temporal pole and insula), and hyper-activities in the cerebellum during response inhibition. SD subgroup showed almost the same activity patterns, with an additional hypoactivation of the precentral gyrus, compared with HCs. Stronger activation of the cerebellum was associated with longer addiction duration for adults with SD. We could not conduct meta-analytic investigations into the behavioral addiction subgroup due to the small number of datasets. Conclusion This meta-analysis revealed altered activation of FPN, VAN and the cerebellum in adults with addiction during response inhibition tasks using non-addiction-related stimuli. Although FPN and VAN showed lower activity, the cerebellum exhibited stronger activity. These results may help to understand the neural pathology of response inhibition in addiction.

scholarly journals Executive Semantic Processing Is Underpinned by a Large-scale Neural Network: Revealing the Contribution of Left Prefrontal, Posterior Temporal, and Parietal Cortex to Controlled Retrieval and Selection Using TMS

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carin Whitney ◽  
Marie Kirk ◽  
Jamie O'Sullivan ◽  
Matthew A. Lambon Ralph ◽  
Elizabeth Jefferies
Keyword(s):  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Semantic Representation ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Semantic Knowledge ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Left Posterior ◽  
Domain Dependence

To understand the meanings of words and objects, we need to have knowledge about these items themselves plus executive mechanisms that compute and manipulate semantic information in a task-appropriate way. The neural basis for semantic control remains controversial. Neuroimaging studies have focused on the role of the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG), whereas neuropsychological research suggests that damage to a widely distributed network elicits impairments of semantic control. There is also debate about the relationship between semantic and executive control more widely. We used TMS in healthy human volunteers to create “virtual lesions” in structures typically damaged in patients with semantic control deficits: LIFG, left posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG), and intraparietal sulcus (IPS). The influence of TMS on tasks varying in semantic and nonsemantic control demands was examined for each region within this hypothesized network to gain insights into (i) their functional specialization (i.e., involvement in semantic representation, controlled retrieval, or selection) and (ii) their domain dependence (i.e., semantic or cognitive control). The results revealed that LIFG and pMTG jointly support both the controlled retrieval and selection of semantic knowledge. IPS specifically participates in semantic selection and responds to manipulations of nonsemantic control demands. These observations are consistent with a large-scale semantic control network, as predicted by lesion data, that draws on semantic-specific (LIFG and pMTG) and domain-independent executive components (IPS).

scholarly journals Altered Spontaneous Neural Activity and Functional Connectivity in Parkinson’s Disease With Subthalamic Microlesion

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bei Luo ◽  
Yue Lu ◽  
Chang Qiu ◽  
Wenwen Dong ◽  
Chen Xue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Angular Gyrus ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus

BackgroundTransient improvement in motor symptoms are immediately observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) after an electrode has been implanted into the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for deep brain stimulation (DBS). This phenomenon is known as the microlesion effect (MLE). However, the underlying mechanisms of MLE is poorly understood.PurposeWe utilized resting state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) to evaluate changes in spontaneous brain activity and networks in PD patients during the microlesion period after DBS.MethodOverall, 37 PD patients and 13 gender- and age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for this study. Rs-MRI information was collected from PD patients three days before DBS and one day after DBS, whereas the HCs group was scanned once. We utilized the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method in order to analyze differences in spontaneous whole-brain activity among all subjects. Furthermore, functional connectivity (FC) was applied to investigate connections between other brain regions and brain areas with significantly different ALFF before and after surgery in PD patients.ResultRelative to the PD-Pre-DBS group, the PD-Post-DBS group had higher ALFF in the right putamen, right inferior frontal gyrus, right precentral gyrus and lower ALFF in right angular gyrus, right precuneus, right posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC), left insula, left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), bilateral middle frontal gyrus and bilateral superior frontal gyrus (dorsolateral). Functional connectivity analysis revealed that these brain regions with significantly different ALFF scores demonstrated abnormal FC, largely in the temporal, prefrontal cortices and default mode network (DMN).ConclusionThe subthalamic microlesion caused by DBS in PD was found to not only improve the activity of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical circuit, but also reduce the activity of the DMN and executive control network (ECN) related brain regions. Results from this study provide new insights into the mechanism of MLE.

Sex differences in the neural basis of theory of mind during development

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S368-S368
Author(s):  
C. Frank
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Mirror Neuron System ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Mechanism ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Neural Basis

IntroductionTheory of mind (ToM) is the ability to predict behaviors of others in terms of their underlying mental states. It is carried out in order to make sense of and predict behavior. Impairments in ToM have been found in many psychiatric/neurological disorders including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. Previous research has indicated sex difference in ToM development. Previous research has also found some differences in the neural basis of ToM.Objectives/aimsAn objective/aim of the present study was to examine possible sex differences in the neural mechanism associated with ToM development. Another objective was to examine the neural basis of ToM that is shared by both sexes throughout development.MethodsThirty-two adults (16 women) and 24 children (12 girls) were assessed with fMRI while performing a false belief (FB) task.ResultsDuring the ToM relative to non-ToM condition, adults and children of both sexes showed increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ). Both boys and girls recruited more brain regions than adults. Moreover, children employed structures involved in the human mirror neuron system (hMNS) more than adults. More specifically, boys recruited the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) more than men, while girls recruited the precentral gyrus more than women.ConclusionsThese results suggest that boys/men and girls/women employ different brain regions for ToM during development.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Neural representations of awe: Distinguishing common and distinct neural mechanisms

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryota Takano ◽  
Michio Nomura
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Neural Representations ◽  
And Function ◽  
Left Middle Temporal Gyrus

Awe is an emotional response to perceptually vast stimuli that transcend one’s current frames of reference. The psychological form and function of awe differ between two types: positive-awe, which arises from the beauty of nature, and threat-awe, which is inspired by natural disasters. However, little is known about the neural bases underlying these types of awe. Here, using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated common and distinct neural responses to experiences of positive- and threat-awe, elicited by watching awe-inspiring videos. We found that both awe experiences deactivated the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) compared to control conditions (positive-awe vs. amusement; threat-awe vs. fear). In addition, positive-awe was associated with increased functional connectivity between the MTG and the cingulate cortex and supramarginal gyrus (SMG), and threat-awe was associated with increased functional connectivity between the MTG and amygdala, as well as between the amygdala and SMG. These findings suggest that the neural mechanisms underlying the complex psychological processes of awe vary as a function of the type of awe. The implications of these results regarding our understanding of the neural basis of awe and the future directions of human social cognition research are discussed.

scholarly journals Relationship of Lutein and Zeaxanthin Levels to Neurocognitive Functioning: An fMRI Study of Older Adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cutter A. Lindbergh ◽  
Catherine M. Mewborn ◽  
Billy R. Hammond ◽  
Lisa M. Renzi-Hammond ◽  
Joanne M. Curran-Celentano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Blood Oxygen Level Dependent ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Neural Mechanisms ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Precentral Gyrus ◽  
Cognitive Benefits

AbstractObjectives:It is well known that the carotenoids lutein (L) and zeaxanthin (Z) improve eye health and an accumulating evidence base suggests cognitive benefits as well. The present study investigated underlying neural mechanisms using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). It was hypothesized that lower L and Z concentrations would be associated with neurobiological inefficiency (i.e., increased activation) during cognitive performance.Methods:Forty-three community-dwelling older adults (mean age=72 years; 58% female; 100% Caucasian) were asked to learn and recall pairs of unrelated words in an fMRI-adapted paradigm. L and Z levels were measured in retina (macular pigment optical density) and serum using validated procedures.Results:Following first-level contrasts of encoding and retrieval trials minus control trials (p<.05, family-wise error corrected, minimum voxel cluster=8), L and Z were found to significantly and negatively relate to blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal in central and parietal operculum cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, planum polare, frontal and middle temporal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, postcentral gyrus, precentral gyrus, occipital cortex bilaterally, and cerebellar regions.Conclusions:To the authors’ knowledge, the present study represents the first attempt to investigate neural mechanisms underlying the relation of L and Z to cognition using fMRI. The observed results suggest that L and Z promote cognitive functioning in old age by enhancing neural efficiency. (JINS, 2017,23, 11–22)

scholarly journals The neural basis of flashback formation: the impact of viewing trauma

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 1521-1532 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Bourne ◽  
C. E. Mackay ◽  
E. A. Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Traffic Accidents ◽  
Road Traffic ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Involuntary Memories ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundPsychological traumatic events, such as war or road traffic accidents, are widespread. A small but significant proportion of survivors develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Distressing, sensory-based involuntary memories of trauma (henceforth ‘flashbacks’) are the hallmark symptom of PTSD. Understanding the development of flashbacks may aid their prevention. This work is the first to combine the trauma film paradigm (as an experimental analogue for flashback development) with neuroimaging to investigate the neural basis of flashback aetiology. We investigated the hypothesis that involuntary recall of trauma (flashback) is determined during the original event encoding.MethodA total of 22 healthy volunteers viewed a traumatic film whilst undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). They kept a 1-week diary to record flashbacks to specific film scenes. Using a novel prospective fMRI design, we compared brain activation for those film scenes that subsequently induced flashbacks with both non-traumatic control scenes and scenes with traumatic content that did not elicit flashbacks (‘potentials’).ResultsEncoding of scenes that later caused flashbacks was associated with widespread increases in activation, including in the amygdala, striatum, rostral anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus and ventral occipital cortex. The left inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral middle temporal gyrus also exhibited increased activation but only relative to ‘potentials’. Thus, these latter regions appeared to distinguish between traumatic content that subsequently flashed back and comparable content that did not.ConclusionsResults provide the first prospective evidence that the brain behaves differently whilst experiencing emotional events that will subsequently become involuntary memories – flashbacks. Understanding the neural basis of analogue flashback memory formation may aid the development of treatment interventions for this PTSD feature.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document